As summer arrives and spring is behind us, questions about summer weeds are in full bloom. Luckily, with a little care and attention, you can keep summer weeds from taking over your beautiful lawn.
What weeds grow in summer?
Weeds are unwanted plants that compete with your grass for water, nutrients, and sunlight. There are many different types of summer weeds, but some of the more common ones include spurge, knotweed, purslane, crabgrass and foxtail. Dandelions and clover are also common types of summer weeds that can be difficult to control and often invade lawns that are not well-maintained.
Why is my lawn full of weeds?
There is a reason for the saying “grows like a weed.”; Weeds can grow much faster than grass. There are other conditions that make summer weeds problematic such as:.
- They germinate at different times.
- They can mature quickly, overwhelming the lawn and you!
- Summer weeds have a thick waxy layer on their leaves that prevents water loss AND makes it difficult for weed controls to work.
How do I get rid of weeds in my lawn in the summer?
The good news is these weeds will only last a few more months. Weedy grasses, like crabgrass and foxtail, will die after the first frost, along with summer annuals such as spurge, purslane and knotweed.
We don’t recommend applying weed controls during the summer, as they can also damage the grass. Applying herbicides now can also be detrimental to ornamentals, trees, flowers and vegetable gardens. These plants can be damaged through direct application or drift (when the wind spreads the product).
So, what do you do to keep a weed infestation from happening again?
- This fall, aerate and seed your lawn in the fall. Aeration and seeding creates a thicker turf, which crowds out weeds naturally.
- In the spring, use a pre-emergent weed control like Natural Alternative® Inhibitor® to kill weed seeds before they have a chance to grow. Just remember not to plant grass seed and use a pre-emergent product at the same time, because the pre-emergent will prevent the seed from sprouting. Wait six weeks between applying Inhibitor® and grass seed.)
- Follow our guidelines for proper mowing practices, irrigation and fertilization programs to reduce weed populations throughout the year. Healthy turf is a first defense against weeds.
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